EPPiC Broadcast

Jim Mason, President of the Home School Legal Defense Association and a longtime advocate for homeschooling and parental rights, joins Michael Ramey for a conversation about the current state of homeschooling freedom in America. Jim brings decades of experience defending homeschool families and litigating Fourth Amendment issues in child welfare investigations.

The conversation focuses on Connecticut’s recent changes to homeschooling law, the constitutional concerns they raise, and the broader landscape for homeschool freedom across the country. Jim also discusses recent victories for homeschooling families, the connection between homeschooling rights and parental rights, and what families and ad...

In this episode, Albany Law School Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic Dale Margolin Cecka joins us to discuss anonymous reporting to Child Protective Services and the investigation involving former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his family. Dale also discusses her recent law review article, Don’t Just Ask the Kids: Toward a More Deliberate Approach to Child Advocacy, and her longstanding work examining the use of anonymous reporting in the child welfare system.

The conversation explores how anonymous allegations can trigger intrusive CPS investigations, the constitutional questions raised when investigators ar...

In this episode, Emilie Kao, senior counsel and vice president of advocacy strategy for Alliance Defending Freedom and member of the Parental Rights Foundation Board of Advisors, joins us to discuss her article “Preserving Childhood: Dependency, Consent, and Parental Rights in Healthcare,” featured in The State of Parental Rights in America. Emilie explores the legal foundations of parental rights in healthcare decision-making, the Supreme Court’s parental rights precedent, and the historical understanding of childhood dependency and parental responsibility.

The conversation also examines the rise of the “mature minor” doctrine and its growing role in healthcare policy. Emilie dis...

In this episode, Joyce McMillan, founder and executive director of Just Making a Change for Families and a member of the Parental Rights Foundation Board of Advisors, joins us to discuss her recent article “Common Sense Guardrails for CPS,” featured in The State of Parental Rights in America. Drawing from her work with families impacted by the child welfare system, Joyce argues that Child Protective Services often functions less like a helping profession and more like an investigative and prosecutorial agency. She explains how poverty is frequently confused with neglect and how families can become trapped in cycles of surv...

In this episode, Allison Green, Chief Legal Officer at the National Association of Counsel for Children, and Natalece Washington, Policy Counsel at NACC, join us to discuss the Counsel for Kids Campaign and the effort to guarantee legal representation for children in foster care. They explain the current gap in access to counsel across states and make the case for why children, like parents, should have representation in proceedings that deeply impact their lives and family relationships. They highlight how legal advocacy for children can improve outcomes, including faster reunification, fewer placement disruptions, and greater stability.

Allison...

In this episode, Layal Bou Harfouch, drug policy analyst at Reason Foundation and doctoral student at the University of Oxford, joins us to discuss her recent article examining the relationship between substance use and child welfare policy. Drawing on her background in addiction medicine and research, she explains how substance use is often treated as automatic evidence of risk, even though it is only one factor among many. It is often connected to broader challenges like poverty, housing instability, and limited access to care.

Layal unpacks several common myths that shape current policy, including the assumptions that...

In this episode, Alex Cinney, Staff Attorney at the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law, and Toia Potts, a family advocate and co-founder of Carolina Parent Defenders, join us to discuss the realities and consequences of Termination of Parental Rights (TPR). Drawing on both legal expertise and lived experience, they examine how TPR functions within the child welfare system and what it means for families across the country.

Alex explains how TPR permanently severs the legal relationship between parents and children, often without the level of scrutiny given to other life-altering legal decisions. To...

In this episode, David Kelly, Co-Director of the Family Justice Group and former Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Children’s Bureau, joins us to reflect on his time in federal service and discuss the future of child welfare policy. Drawing on years of experience working alongside families, advocates, and policymakers, David shares insights into the importance of prioritizing family preservation, strengthening communities, and ensuring that systems meant to help families remain grounded in their real needs and experiences.

David highlights the work of the Family Justice Group through on-the-ground efforts in communities like Flint, Michigan, wh...

In this episode, William Wagner, constitutional legal scholar and newly appointed Chairman of the Board at the Parental Rights Foundation, joins us to reflect on this leadership transition and the future of the organization. Wagner shares his appreciation for outgoing Chairman Jim Mason and discusses the Foundation’s growth from its early connection with the Home School Legal Defense Association to becoming a fully independent organization.

Looking ahead, Wagner outlines his vision for advancing parental rights as a fundamental liberty, including strengthening protections at both the state and national level. Drawing on his experience as a homeschool pa...

In this episode, Sharon Balmer Cartagena, Directing Attorney of Public Counsel’s Child, Youth & Family Advocacy Project in California, joins us to discuss innovative efforts to support families earlier in the child welfare process. Drawing on her work with the Keeping Families Together Project in Los Angeles County, she explains how expanding access to support and legal counsel can help bridge communication gaps, connect families to resources, and prevent unnecessary system involvement.

Sharon shares early results from the program and what they suggest about the impact of timely support. She also explores broader challenges within the child we...

In this episode, Will Estrada, Esq., Senior Counsel at the Home School Legal Defense Association, joins us to discuss recent legislative efforts impacting homeschool families across the country. Focusing on two contrasting bills in New England, Estrada explains how Connecticut’s HB5468 would significantly increase regulations on homeschool families, while New Hampshire’s HB1268 would move in the opposite direction by reducing requirements. He also explores the broader philosophical question underlying these debates: where parental rights come from, and whether they should be subject to government control.

Estrada discusses the implications of increasing homeschool regulations, including the stra...

In this episode, Vernadette R. Broyles, Esq., President and Chief Counsel of the Child and Parental Rights Campaign, joins us to discuss the recent Mirabelli decision and its implications for parental rights. Broyles explains the background of the case and why many advocates view the ruling as a significant development in the ongoing legal debate over whether schools can withhold information from parents about their children. She also discusses her organization’s involvement in the case, including the filing of an amicus brief supporting the parents.

Broyles breaks down what the decision signals from the Supreme Court ab...

In this episode, Kelley Fong, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine and author of the award-winning book Investigating Families: Motherhood in the Shadow of Child Protective Services, and Frank Edwards, Associate Professor at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, join us to discuss their new study examining the relationship between foster care entry rates and child maltreatment mortality rates. Drawing on 16 years of federal and state data from AFCARS and NCANDS, they explore a deeply consequential question: does increasing foster care entry actually reduce child maltreatment fatalities?

Their findings challenge some widely...

In this episode, James Uthmeier, Attorney General of Florida, joins us to discuss the creation of the state’s first-in-the-nation Office of Parental Rights within the Attorney General’s Office. Established earlier this year in response to a growing number of parental complaints, the office works to ensure Florida’s parental rights laws are upheld and that parents have a place to turn when those rights are violated.

Attorney General Uthmeier outlines how the office operates, why enforcing existing parental rights protections is so essential, and why he hopes other states will follow Florida’s lead in creating...

In this episode, Darren Jones, Senior Counsel and Director of Group Services at the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, joins us to explore the growing world of homeschooling, co-ops, and micro schools. Darren explains why parents are fully capable of educating their children, pointing to decades of strong academic outcomes and the wide range of resources available to families today. He also breaks down what co-ops and micro schools are, how they differ from private schools, and how parent involvement varies across these models. 

Darren offers practical guidance for families looking to join or start a homeschool co-op o...

In this episode, Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Executive Director at the Center for Families, Children, and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law, joins us to discuss the growing issue of hidden foster care. Hidden foster care is a way to keep children with family instead of entering the foster system, but with no oversight or due process, it doesn't always give parents, children, or caregivers the tools their family needs.

Aubrey shares how these arrangements can harm everyone involved and outlines four key policy changes from her upcoming paper, The Hidden Foster Care Policy Agenda...

In this episode, Attorney Aaron Rapier from the Rapier Law Firm joins us to discuss the troubling Krueger v. Petrak case in Illinois. In this case, investigators found the abuse allegations to be unfounded and the case was officially closed. However, only weeks later, the children were still removed from the home and separated from their parents for over a year.

We explore what this case reveals about the growing tension between medical professionals and parental authority and why protecting a parent's right to be fully informed and involved in their child's medical care is essential to...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! In this episode, Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, discusses the renewed push for the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act. Matt explains how this legislation would strengthen parental rights at the federal level by applying the strict scrutiny standard to any government action that interferes with those rights, giving parents the same high level of legal protection afforded to other fundamental freedoms. Matt also shares how this bill complements the proposed Parental Rights Amendment, why bipartisan support is essential, and what listeners can...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We're re-featuring one of our well-received episodes featuring Grover Norquist, the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, a political advocacy group fighting for lower taxes. Today, he talks about limiting the government’s role in telling citizens how to live their lives - which naturally impacts its power over parents and families.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

Support th...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! This week, we're rewinding to our episode featuring Brittany Patterson, a Georgia mother who made headlines when she was arrested after her 10-year-old walked to the store solo. David DeLugas, executive director of ParentsUSA and Brittany’s attorney, joined us as well. 

Brittany tells her story and gives us a closer look at what happened on the day she was arrested. She and David both discuss the injustice of the event and what it signifies for parental rights and childhood independence for any family. 

This episode has a happy endi...

During the times of American legalized slavery, the relationship between Black parents and their children was fraught with fear, and entirely controlled by the heavy hand of their owners. In her book Neglected Stories: The Constitution and Family Values, Prof. Peggy Cooper Davis draws the connection between this past reality, and the present reality of Black families finding themselves under the control of the child welfare state, subject to the whims of oft-biased court systems and social workers. 

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, Prof. Peggy Cooper Davis, Esq., Professor of Lawyering and Ethics Emeritus at N...

AB 495 is a troubling bill in California that’s just passed the legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk for his signature or veto. The bill would allow for any adult to make custody-like educational or medical decisions for any minor child, simply by signing an affidavit claiming they are “related to the child by blood, adoption, or affinity within the 5th degree of kinship.” No proof would be required for this process to take place. 

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, is here with us to dis...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, our guest is Marci Comeau, the managing attorney at the Washington State Office of Public Defense in the Parents Representation Program. She talks with Michael about the hotline she manages, the WA Voluntary Placement Agreement Legal Consultation Hotline. This is a number that parents can call if they are facing a CPS investigation where they are offered the option of a voluntary placement for their children. Parents often don’t know what the right decision is in these circumstances, and Marci and her team are here to help. 

The hotline’s tol...

A family who had CPS called on them four separate times for letting their children play outside in front of their house. A mother who was arrested after her ten-year-old walked into town and back alone. How do we keep this from happening?

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast - today, our guest is Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow. She’s here to discuss the negative consequences of society not allowing responsible children to spend time independently in their neighborhoods - and how to affect change.

You can also find Lenore’s recent TED Talk...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We’re kicking off season 11 with returning guest William Wagner, Esq. William is the Vice President of the Parental Rights Foundation, and a constitutional legal scholar. Today, he discusses the recent monumental Supreme Court decision on Mahmoud v. Taylor from this past summer, and what it means for parents' right to direct the education and upbringing of their children.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.or...

On June 1, 1925, the Supreme Court declared, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” Pierce firmly established the liberty of parents to direct the lives of their minor children without interference by the government.

You’ve listened to our Left Panel’s discussion of Pierce – now, it’s the Right Panel’s turn! Today, we speak with Michael Farris, founding president of ParentalRights.org and former CEO and president of Alliance Defending Free...

The Supreme Court released its landmark parental rights decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters on June 1, 1925—exactly 100 years ago next month. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve gathered two special panels on the EPPiC Broadcast, comprised of parental rights champions from either side of the political aisle to protect our children. 

Today, we speak with the Left Panel: Martin Guggenheim, founder and co-director of New York University School of Law’s Family Defense Clinic; Angela Burton, founder and co-chair of the New York City Narrowing the Front Door workgroup; and Josh Gupta-Kagan, a clinical professor of law and...

Our topic for today is hidden foster care: a process wherein children are sent to live with relatives or friends in order to prevent foster care with strangers. Considered a “voluntary” placement, in reality it often involves coercion or threats. In one such instance, Su’Leya Williams was a baby girl taken from her mother’s care and placed with a woman who claimed to be a relative, but wasn’t. Baby Su’Leya died in her care. 

Today, we welcome Sarah Katz, a Professor of Law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and Director of Temple Law...

Today we discuss In Re: Sapphire W. with three attorneys who worked on the case: Melissa Friedman and Zoe Allen of the Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Practice and David Shalleck-Klein of the Family Justice Law Center. In Sapphire W., they took on New York City family courts' practice of placing families under the supervision of ACS any time a child was alleged to have been neglected or abused, even if there was no allegation against the custodial parent.

Together, our guests won a major victory to preserve family integrity for Sapphire and her mom, and for...

This week, we're rewinding to a conversation with Diane Redleaf from February 2024. 

Diane is the legal consultant at Let Grow, an organization that promotes reasonable childhood independence. She’s also the author of They Took the Kids Last Night. 

In this episode, Diane tells us what reasonable childhood independence is and why it matters for protecting parental and family rights. Plus hear about her work advocating for families caught up in the child welfare system.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Diane Redleaf's mother, Rhoda Redleaf, herself an iconic national leader in c...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Nora McCarthy, director of the NYC Family Policy Project and founder and former director of Rise, a NYC parent advocacy organization. Nora discusses her recently released article about the harm CPS investigations cause to families. Over a third of all US children will experience a CPS investigation by age 18, and over half of Black children. This, paired with the statistic that only 7% of families take advantage of resources offered by the child welfare system, shows that changes are needed for parents to feel safe in asking for help.

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Will Estrada, the Senior Counsel at the Home School Legal Defense Association, and former President of the Parental Rights Foundation. Will and Michael discuss a state bill that has gained international attention due to how dangerous it is for parental rights. This bill would overturn over 75 years of state homeschooling precedent, and would criminalize parents who fail to file paperwork, opening them up to arrest and jail time. 

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for e...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Mark Riccobono, the President of the National Federation of the Blind. Mark has been a lifelong advocate for those with blindness and low-vision, and today he discusses how important parental rights are for families affected by blindness, sharing stories of how unjustly the child welfare system treats parents who are blind.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, check out their website here: http://nfb.org/. You can also explore nfb.org/convention, which has information on their National Convention, which is the largest...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Brittany Patterson, a Georgia mother who made headlines when she was arrested after her 10-year-old walked to the store solo; and David DeLugas, executive director of ParentsUSA and Brittany’s attorney. Brittany tells her story and gives us a closer look at what happened on the day she was arrested. She and David both discuss the injustice of the event, and what it signifies for parental rights and childhood independence for any family. 

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Andrew Brown, Vice President of Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and an attorney who has represented families harmed by the child welfare system. Today, he talks about recent and future changes in the Texas welfare laws, with a special focus on a bill requiring CPS workers to inform parents of their rights in an investigation. He also discusses the “civil death penalty” – termination of parental rights – and the reforms it needs. 

Relatedly, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas recently praised the TX Legislatu...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Grover Norquist, the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, a political advocacy group fighting for lower taxes. Today, he talks about limiting the government’s role in telling citizens how to live their lives - which naturally impacts its power over parents and families. 

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Our latest episode features Kelis Houston, the founder of Village Arms, a community organization dedicated to reducing the number of African American children removed from their families by Minnesota's Child Protection System. Today, she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the background of the African American Family Preservation Act - which became law after an astounding seven years of advocacy by Kelis and Village Arms.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on...

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We’re kicking off season 10 with returning guest Kerry McDonald. Kerry is an educational scholar and author, and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education. Today she discusses the history of educational choice – including as recently impacted by COVID – and the variety of options parents can select from today. 

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

Support the show

For our final episode of Season 9, we welcome Shanta Trivedi, who is both an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and the Faculty Director of the University’s Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts.

We have regularly covered the harmful effects which the child welfare system has on children, but this week, we welcome Shanta to discuss the effects on parents. The broken system tends to penalize disadvantaged parents for behaviors that every parent has had. This can largely be attributed to poverty being conflated with ne...

This week, we welcome Vivek Sankaran and Michael Farris to the podcast. Vivek is a professor of law at the Michigan University School of Law and Director of their Child Advocacy Law Clinic.  Michael is a constitutional law scholar, founding president of ParentalRights.org, and the former CEO and president of Alliance Defending Freedom.

Although they come from different sides of the political spectrum, Vivek and Michael both submitted amicus briefs arguing against termination of parental rights in a recent case that went before the Michigan Supreme Court Today, these two experts explain why they both weighed i...